Transcending Chaos
by Tengoko
Summary: 3rd in Storm Series. Yuffentine Vincent was never the hero type. Godo is in chains. Wutai is threatened by war. Only Yuffie can stop it. But, to save her people, she must make the ultimate sacrifice. To stop it, Vincent must become something he's not.
1. Journey

**Tengoko: The start of a new story. The third episode of the Storm series. If you haven't read the first two, it's alright. This story takes place before both of them. The scene is set a few months after Dirge of Cerberus. To be perfectly honest, I've yet to play the game, so I'm going on what I've heard. I think I get the basic gist of things, and even so, I believe that the stories continuity is more important that correcting plot mistakes in respect to the video game. I'll try it get it right, though.  
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****Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Final Fantasy 7.  
Rated M for language and romance  
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****Chapter 1: Journey  
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_I have seldom seen the glassy shore  
Of the sea that lies in west.  
I stand to live, eternally more  
Ever a burden upon my chest._  
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The worst part was over. The journey; done. He knew what had happened to him. Knew how he came to be. And now, Chaos was completely gone. He was glad of it. No longer could he be called a monster. He was now a man of sorts. Still different, very much so. But at least he was only him. The days of sharing his body with the beast were over.

But now what? As relieved as he was to be rid of Chaos, he couldn't deny that he felt as though a part of him had been taken away. He never imagined he could feel such emptiness now, now when everything had been resolved. Had he really grown so used to the monstrosity that used to reside within? He hated to think so.

Vincent Valentine. Once a Turk. Once a man. Once a monster. Now? He was unsure. He certainly wasn't a Turk. An elite organization which belonged to Shin-Ra Inc. He'd long been betrayed by the company and wanted nothing more to do with it. He really couldn't be called a man. The experiments performed on him made him something much more than a mortal. He could no longer age. He could no longer die. It was as if time had decided to stand still for Valentine.

A monster? Had dispelling Chaos really changed him that much? Could he be called anything other than a beast? Inside him, he was still racked with anger and uncertainty. He wanted so badly to feel the way he once did, before he became Vincent the monster. Back when he was Vincent the man, Vincent the Turk.

But he couldn't be all that bad. He'd managed to make and keep new friends. Perhaps it was destiny that brought Cloud and the others to the basement of the Shin-Ra mansion. They were meant to find him. They were supposed to lead him through a course of events that brought him to Hojo, helped him find Lucrecia, and ultimately, helped him conquer his personal demons. For that, he was very grateful.

But he'd felt such a sense of loss afterward. He had no purpose. No meaning. Everything he wanted to accomplish had been accomplished. And now he was staring at the legitimacy of the situation. Confronted with the realness that he had all eternity to dwell in his own ambiguity. And one day, his friends would all be gone. And he'd be alone once more, and forever.

That's why he had decided to leave. To go own a personal journey, hopefully to make more sense of his life and what he was supposed to do now. He found nothing and only managed to expound on the broadness of his life. But, he wasn't disappointed. He had more than enough time to figure things out. After all, all an immortal has is time.

Vincent stared down at his hands with his blood-red eyes. He felt naked without the claw that he usually wore on his left arm, despite wearing his usual attire of all black, complete with crimson cape. He didn't believe any of his friends had seen him without it at all. Indeed, they probably thought it to be a prosthetic, like Barret's gun arm. It began to feel as much. It was more like his hand than what it had concealed.

The only reason he'd taken it off was because it seemed to scare the other passengers who kept eyeing him warily. Usually, it wouldn't bother him, but eventually, he got tired of the inquisitive stares, so he opted to just take it off. The less attention he brought to himself, the less compelled people would be to ask questions. And really, he was in no mood to answer to anybody.

At long last, the screeching of the train signaled to everybody that they were coming to a stop. Slowly, people stood to grab their belongings from their compartment. Vincent had no belongings. Only his claw, which he put back on now.

_"Attention passengers, we have arrived at stop 14, Sector Six. If this is your stop, please head in an orderly fashion towards the nearest exit. We will depart in approximately seven minutes. Thank you for riding Midgar Xpress."_

Vincent stood up and moved into the aisle. He walked as though he were floating, his cape flowing behind him. People couldn't help but stare in awe as the intimidating, six foot tall, dark man made his way off towards the open door.

"Vinny!" The voice was instantaneous. The moment he stepped onto the station, the loud, piercing scream came. A voice he knew all to well. A tone that made him groan inwardly. Of all people to come and greet him, of all the members of the group he'd reluctantly become attached to, it had to be the one person he couldn't stand.

She ran up to him in a child-like way and for a moment, it seemed as though she just might hug him. He took a step back to let her know that he wouldn't be pleased should she do so. She got the hint and stopped abruptly right in front of him.

"I believe I have asked you more than once to not call me that," he said in a dry voice. "You should respect my wishes, Yuffie."

Yuffie giggled. "You're such a grouch," she said, looking at him curiously. "Some things never change. So, how was your trip?"

"Well enough," he said, keeping it simple. "I trust things have been well here."

Yuffie frowned at that. Vincent knew that anything that could make Yuffie frown could not bode well. This was a girl who always seemed to be smiling, even during a fight. She looked up at him with her dark, brown eyes. "Cloud left her again. Just a few weeks ago. She's not doing so well. I've never seen anybody so heartbroken."

Vincent looked down. Tifa Lockheart. A woman so magnanimous, so caring. She deserved all the happiness in the world. And yet, she was so wrapped up in a supposed romance with Cloud Strife, a man tormented by demons of his own over the years, that she unknowingly denied herself joy.

"He left to find Aerith?" he asked knowingly. Yuffie nodded. "Then she's better off knowing now that Cloud has no room in his heart for her."

Yuffie gasped. "That's a horrible thing to say," she exclaimed.

"I'm not about to be euphemistic about it. Cloud left to find another woman. A woman we all thought he let go of a year ago. That speaks numbers of the love he had for her. A love like that encompasses the entire heart, leaving little room for much else. He never would have stopped loving her, and as a result, Tifa would have been loved much less."

Yuffie had nothing to say to that. She didn't understand love. Being only nineteen, she'd yet to experience anything remotely close to that. But still, she was at that age where love was romanticized. It wasn't supposed to cause pain. Only happiness. And Cloud's love hurt everybody. But mostly, to Tifa, her best friend. The only one who hadn't left.

She couldn't blame Red, Reeve or Cid for leaving. Red XIII, or Nanaki as he went by now, had to return to Cosmo Canyon, to fulfill his duty as the guardian of that place. But, at least he'd come by to see them ever now and again. Reeve was head of the WRO, which was now in charge of rebuilding and upgrading Midgar. He'd been doing a hell of a job, actually. Cid had a love to return to. He hadn't said it out loud to anybody yet, but they all knew he loved Shera.

"Still, he's an idiot," she finally blurted. "Tifa's the best thing that's ever happened to him, but he's too stupid to realize it."

"Speaking of Tifa," Vincent began, "I would really like to see her."

She was the main reason he'd come back. He'd grown rather close to her during their little adventure in trying to stop Meteor. It was strange how that turned out. He'd worked so hard at remaining distant, his intention was to leave after they'd killed Hojo. But, Tifa befriended him, went out of her way in fact. And you just couldn't deny Tifa. She had a way of getting into anybody's heart, no matter how hard or guarded it happened to be.

Yuffie nodded and turned to lead him off the station. "She's not too far from here." She turned her head to look at him, and then she said, "Barret's gone too, you know. We don't know where he went. But one day, he just came and got Denzel and Marlene and was gone. We haven't seen him since."

Vincent grunted in response. He really didn't care too much about Barret. Sure, he'd call him his friend, but he was sad to hear that he'd left. He'd never actually talked to Barret all that much. Truth be told, he found him to be boorish, ignorant, and petty. Far from being a equitable man. Then again, that wasn't enough reason to have an aversion to a fellow. After all, Cid was all that and more, and yet Vincent had befriended Cid with no problem.

But, Cid was also a scientist, and was far from being ignorant. Sure, he was rough around the edges, but he had every right to be. He'd been denied in his earlier days the one thing he'd ever wanted; to be the first man in space. He had to call the launch off in order to save Shera's life. After that, Shin-Ra stopped funding the space program altogether.

"You know, if Marlene and Denzel were still here, I think she'd have been okay. Tifa's just one of those people who needs to take care of somebody. Now, she has all this time and nobody to devote it to."

"Dependent on dependency. Yes. That sounds like Tifa."

"I'm half surprised she hasn't left to go find Cloud. She did last time he left. And without the kids to worry about, she has all the time in the world to find him. I don't know what's stopping her."

"She knows it's pointless to chase after a man who's chasing after a ghost."

"She went after you," Yuffie said. "You didn't tell anybody where you were going. She was afraid that you'd do something to harm yourself, so she and…well, she just wanted to be sure that you were safe."

"That was very kind of her. But all the same, it was unnecessary. I won't be found unless I want to be."

"Rubbish," Yuffie smiled. "We found you in the Shin-Ra Mansion's basement, didn't we?"

"Yes. How coincidental that a group of people with nothing in common but a goal to rid the world of the evil Shin-Ra corporation and it's devil spawn, Sephiroth, found me, somebody with the same aspirations."

"You're making that up. You had no idea we were coming, admit it."

"I'll do no such thing," Vincent said monotonously.

"Vinny?" He grimaced again. "I've always wondered…why did you leave?"

He stopped walking. "There was something I needed to find out."

"Did you?"

He looked at her for a moment. Her brown eyes were upon him as she waited for him to respond. Why did she care why he left? This was Yuffie. All she cared about was materia and her reputation as a fierce ninja.

Vincent considered her for a moment. She did look rather sincere. That was something he found very peculiar. It was a rare occurrence indeed for Yuffie to be anything other than her chipper, obnoxious self.

"Well?"

"For now," was all he said.


	2. Concerning Cloud

**Tengoko: I've had writer's block before, but this chapter certainly was one of the hardest I've ever had it on. Thankfully, I was able to overcome it after about sixteen different versions of where I wanted this story to go. I think I made the right decision. Sorry for taking so long to get chapter two up, though. With summer vacation starting in a few days, hopefully I'll have more time to work on all of my stories. Well, enjoy, and please review. Thank you.  
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Rated M for language and Romance  
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Chapter 2: Concerning Cloud  
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_You think you know sadness,  
You've cried so many tears  
But my friend you know naught   
Pain grows with passing years._  
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Even as he looked at her now, he couldn't help but feel angry. She sat in one of her bar stools, her face buried in her hands. She had the look of melancholy down to a T, and it was nearly heart wrenching for him to see her in this state: nearly. Ther was no doubt in his mind that she was thinking about him. Of Cloud. How wretched she was without him. How alone she must feel, how hurt and miserable.

What would she know about misery? Nothing. Her grief couldn't compare with what he'd been through. A pain he'd bear with him for all infinity. Time could only heal her wounds, yet, it would serve no purpose to him other than to remind him of loss and of a mortality that he has been cursed to live without.

So, Cloud left her. At least she'd seen it coming. The love had been entirely one-sided anyway. He was still a child in so many ways. Searching, not just for Aerith, but for himself. How could he possibly love a woman when he wasn't even sure who he was? How could she possibly love a man fixed on self-inflicted anguish?

Of course, he had no room to judge her. After all, hadn't his love for Lucrecia been, if nothing else, a silly folly only he believed in? Whether or not she actually loved him was irrelevant now. He'd set himself up for unhappiness, had allowed the pain of love to tear his heart to shreds. Now he was enveloped with animosity. Love had failed him once. He wouldn't give it the chance to do it twice.

"Tifa!" Yuffie's cheerful voice brought the brunette out of her silent reverie. She looked towards them and smiled, her eyes lighting up instantly with joy. Wasting no more time, she hopped from the stool and hurried towards Vincent, her arms encasing him in a welcoming hug.

"Oh, Vin. I'm so glad you're back!" she said. "I've missed you."

"I couldn't possibly imagine why," he shrugged, looking down at her with that vacant face of his.

"Well who wouldn't miss you?" Yuffie began sourly. "What with your lively personality and your never-ending charm. You're just the life of the party."

Tifa chuckled. "Be nice, Yuffs. Vincent has come a long way to see us. At least you could try to be pleasant his first evening back."

"I did try," she defended. "And, he didn't come all this way to see us. He came for you!" Her irritation was more than obvious. She pushed passed him, and then went towards the stairs. After she disappeared, Tifa shook her head and smiled.

"She's been looking forward to you coming for quite some time. Tell me you treated her well when she met you at the station."

"I've never been a good liar," Vincent said, turning away from her. "I can't play make-believe either. I'm not fond of Yuffie. She's…"

"Changed," Tifa interrupted. "At least, she's trying to. You know, she's been helping out a lot here. I don't know what I'd do without her. She gets along well with the customers, and she was really valuable when I needed her most."

"Tifa, my intent is not to insult her. I appreciate the fact that you two have become close friends. But, my opinion still stands."

Tifa frowned. "Well, that's a shame. Especially since she's so fond of you."

Vincent looked back at her. "Fond of me?"

Tifa could have laughed now. He actually rose an eyebrow. In all the years that she'd known him, she'd never once see him do anything expressive like that. However, Vincent wasn't the type of person you laughed at, especially when you've just confused him, which was uncommon as well.

"More like admire you actually," she cleared up. "I guess what happened a few months ago made her feel as though you two had some sort of understanding."

"Tifa, I have no desire to talk about Yuffie right now. I have other things that I hoped to cover before you retired for the evening. If I may?" Tifa was caught off guard by the deliberate change of subject, but almost immediately nodded. "I heard he left again."

Tifa fell silent. Her eyes began to look glazed and her lip began to quiver. "Yes. He said he was looking for her. That he thinks that she's still alive. I tried to make him stay, but in the end…"

"It is good that he's gone," Vincent said truthfully. "And I can only hope that he won't return to beg for your continued affection. Though, I must wonder…if he does come back…would you be willing to let him back into your heart?"

Tifa didn't answer straightaway. She knew that Vincent would hate her answer and would criticize her about being so stupid. But in that moment's hesitation, she'd already answered him. "Don't look at me that way," she snapped. "How can you get mad at me for admitting so when you waited so long for Lucrecia?"

Vincent nodded. "You're right. I have no room to judge you. However, I do have the benefit of experience. It is better to let go of him than to hold on to a ridiculous fantasy. Cloud will never be rid of Aerith. If you take him back, you'll only have half of his heart. That is not the kind of love you deserve. You need somebody who'll give you their whole heart…nothing less."

"Vincent, I have loved Cloud for so long…I don't think that I could possibly love anybody else."

"You only think that now," Vincent said, looking down at his claw. "Loyalty to a man who's feelings are unreliable isn't a very good idea Tifa. It almost makes me believe you deserve this pain." He noted Tifa stiffened at that and her breathing became faster. "I won't apologize for that. I'm only telling you the truth. I very rarely feel pity for anybody, and won't at all when a person knowingly causes their own suffering."

"Well that's the pot calling the kettle black," she accused, her hands on her hips. "At least I haven't resigned myself to a coffin for the next thirty years to atone for things that I couldn't help."

"Yes. That would be tragic," he said blandly, "A fate I wouldn't want for you."

"I was being sarcastic," she seethed.

"Yes…I surmised as much." He turned away from her and looked towards the stairway. "Where will I be staying?" he asked.

"Oh..uh…in the room right across the hall from Yuffie's. It's the first door on your left."

"Cloud's old office?" Vincent asked.

"We turned it into a bedroom not too long ago. With all the people that were staying here, we needed the extra room."

"Well then…" That was his way of saying good-night. He walked slowly towards the stairs and then ascended, quickly finding the room that Tifa had assigned him to. It was a naturally dark room, with a single twin bed and a desk. There was still a lot of Cloud's things in the room, meaning one of two things: He'd left very recently or, Tifa planned on having the room just as it was for when he came back. Vincent suspected a little bit of both.

Walking over towards the desk, his eyes fell upon a picture that was taken about a year ago. It was right after Cloud had defeated Sephiroth for the second time. Their first gathering since Meteor. Strange though. You could never tell by looking at the picture that Cloud was still yearning for the flower girl that had so captured his heart over three years ago.

He knew he should be angry with Cloud. After all, Tifa was one of the only people Vincent allowed himself to care about, and Cloud had succeeded in hurting her so many times. Yet, he couldn't resent him. He knew all too well how hard it was to let go, to forget about somebody who touched your heart so immensely. And Vincent had to admit, Aerith had a remarkable impression on people. Always had the capacity to make a person smile, no matter what the circumstance. She was a compassionate soul in every way.

Vincent tore his eyes away from the photo and began undoing his robe. With a swish, he'd whipped it off and let it hang unceremoniously on the back of the chair. Then came his claw. Struggling a bit to slide it off, he suddenly heard a small gasp that had him turning towards the door.

"Yuffie?"

"You have a real hand under there?" she asked, stepping in without permission. Vincent groaned. He knew he should have closed that door. "I never knew that."

"Nobody did," he said. "What are you doing here?"

She looked down at her shoes. "I'm sorry for how I was earlier. I shouldn't have been that way. You didn't deserve it…especially after everything you've been through."

Vincent was astonished to say the least. Had Yuffie actually apologized? That just wasn't something that she did. "What exactly have I been through?" he asked, setting the claw down on the desk.

"Well…you know. You were there," she said. "With Omega and all…not to mention Hojo and that Lucrecia woman." Vincent noticed that she was staring at his arm. He looked down at it, at the one long scar that ran from elbow to wrist. "How come you never told anybody that you had two real hands?"

"Would it have mattered?" he shrugged, his eyes returning to hers. "Is that all, Yuffie?"

She stared at him for a moment. "Am I forgiven?" she asked with an innocent smile.

Vincent nodded, though he couldn't help but think to himself that she hadn't actually offended him in the first place. "Good night, Yuffie," he said with a note of finality.

"Good night, Vinny," she smiled, pleased to see his eyes filling with disdain. Turning to leave, she heard him mutter something under his breath, but didn't bother to ask him what he'd said. She just loved that one little nickname could easily bother the stony man.


	3. Unfamiliar

**Tengoko: I'm soooo sorry. I've never taken this long to update before. The speedy updates I promised during the summer came to a standstill the moment I got a summer job. But, I'm back now, and I promise I'll update more. I think I'll mostly be focusing on this story for a while, though I'll be working a little on the others. Well, I'll be quiet so you can read now. Enjoy, and please review.**  
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Rated M for language and romance  
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Chapter 3: Unfamiliar**

_A stranger is forthcoming_  
_He comes with the gray haze  
__And even whilst departing  
__The empty feeling stays.  
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She had nobody to blame for her loneliness but herself. Had she been able to look into the future and see how utterly bored she'd be, she would have forced herself to wake up when Tifa knocked lightly on her door, asking if she wanted to join them on their trip to Sector Five. Of course, at the time, the only thing that mattered was sleep, and Yuffie wanted all that she could get of it. Now, she was miserable.

What was the big deal about going to Sector Five anyway? So what it was being opened for the first time in three years? Were they going to throw a party every time they finished rebuilding a Sector? Once you've been to one, you've been to them all. At least, that's what Yuffie thought.

Sector Eight had been a very big deal, especially since it was here that Rufus announced they were not rebuilding Sector Seven. Sector One was almost as monumental. But after that, the story had already been done, and Yuffie just couldn't bring herself to get overjoyed over something that she'd already been through.

With that bitter thought, she convinced herself to get dressed. Today she wore a black tank that was cut off around her navel, and khaki shorts that covered only half of her thigh. She didn't bother doing anything with her hair, and after sliding into her house shoes, she exited her room and descended the stairs to the kitchen.

There was a note on the counter from Tifa telling Yuffie that there was a sandwich in the refrigerator for whenever she got hungry. With a thankful grin, Yuffie bounded over to the fridge and retrieved her lunch. She wasted no time in attacking the poor, defenseless sandwich. Taking a giant bite out of it, she practically gulped it down without chewing. It was as she was taking the second bite that somebody knocked on the door.

Yuffie swallowed hard and set the food down on the counter. She ran to the door and yanked it open, knowing that it was too early for it to be Tifa or Vincent. Of course, she was right, and in front of her stood a young man that she'd never seen before in her life. He was dressed like a messenger, complete with a leather satchel that hung over his shoulder in a lazy manner.

"May I help you?" she asked, wiping her mouth with her wrist and leaning against the door.

"I am looking for Yuffie Kisaragi, Princess of Wutai."

She seemed taken aback by this. Nobody outside of the city ever referred to her by that title. "Who are you?" she asked, standing more erect now.

"I work for Regal Mail Service. I have a letter for the Princess of Wutai. Is she here?"

"She's standing right in front of you," she told him, reaching her hand out. "So, where's the letter."

The man reached into his satchel and pulled out a thick, yellow envelope. Yuffie recognized the writing on the front of it right away to be her father's. The man handed her the letter and then pulled out a clipboard. "I was told to have you verify that you indeed received the letter. I need you to sign here, please." He pointed to the bottom of a sheet of paper that was attached to the clipboard and then handed her a pen.

That done, he turned around and she closed the door, not even thanking him for delivering the message. Without hesitation, she ripped the envelope open and pulled out a sheet of paper that was covered in the same manner of handwriting that could be found on the envelope.

She read:

Dear Yuffie,

I cannot put into words how much we have missed your company here at the Pagoda. Things seem so different without your exuberance and laughter. Still, we knew how important it was to you to remain with your friends. I hope that you are enjoying your stay with Miss Lockheart.

That said, it is with a heavy heart that I inform you that your visit to Midgar is soon to end. I'm sure you are aware of this, but I am getting quite old and am ready to happily retire the throne. Of course, you being my only child, this naturally means that I will be abdicating my title for you, Yuffie.

Therefore, it is your duty to return to Wutai.

It goes without saying what must happen after I abdicate. It is the custom of the royal family for princess to marry at the age of seventeen. I have overlooked this tradition for your sake, but now, I must insist upon a matrimonial arrangement. A suitor has already been chosen, and you will meet him upon your arrival in Wutai.

I cannot wait to see you again, Yuffie. There is so much to look forward to.

-Sincerely

Godo 

Yuffie read the note three more times before it finally sank in. This couldn't be happening. Why would her father do this now? It's not like he was that old. And, she was still very young. Why was he entrusting his city to her when she didn't feel like she was ready to take over the responsibility. On top of that, how could he tell her that she was getting married in a letter, and to a man she hadn't even met, no less.

Angered at this startling revelation, Yuffie crumpled up the paper and threw it across the room. She felt like screaming, felt like punching something. It felt as though a rug had been pulled from beneath her feet and she was in the middle of falling. Only, there was nothing to catch her or stop her fall- not even the ground. It was definitely an unsettling feeling that settled deep in the pit of her stomach.

"I won't to it," she told herself. "I refuse to do it." Then, with a defiant air, she ran up the stairs and went straight into her room, slamming the door behind her.

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"It looks the same!" Tifa exclaimed happily. "Except, they got rid of Don Corneo's place. Actually, it looks like they've replaced it with a restaurant."

"It seems nice," Vincent lied. Actually, he didn't like Sector Five in the slightest. The lights were too bright, the people too loud (and there were far too many people), and there hung in the air a terrible odor that he just couldn't place.

"Oh look!" she shouted, pointing at one building that had dresses and other feminine articles hanging outside. "That's where Aerith and I got Cloud to dress up like a girl. The scary thing was, he actually made a pretty convincing female."

"Probably because he had a youthful face," Vincent said, turning his attention elsewhere.

"That could have been it. Though, you'd think that something like his muscular arms would have tipped Don Corneo off that he was no girl. That, and the fact that he had an Adam's apple should have spoken numbers about his gender, too."

Vincent shrugged. He really didn't want to talk about Cloud. Unfortunately, it was all that they seemed to be doing. Ever since they left the bar, Tifa kept reminiscing about how her and Cloud used to do this, or how they used to do that, and how they did this here, and how they did that there. It was enough to make a man's head spin.

"How long do you think we are going to stay?" he asked her, his eyes catching a glimpse of flaming, red hair.

"Until the fireworks," she said, as though it was a silly question.

Vincent didn't hear her. Before she answered, the person with the red hair turned around, and in that second, sharp, electric eyes met with his. They seemed to consider one another for a moment. He still wore his suit in a lackadaisical manner, and he still had a laid-back way about him. In his mouth hung a cigarette that seemed to distract from the mischievous smile that he usually wore. Yes, Reno of the Turks looked like he always had.

He didn't move, only glanced away every now and then, his red brow cocked. A much taller, bald Turk who wore shades to cover his eyes soon joined him. His suit was worn much more professionally than Reno's, showing without words that this man took pride in his job. Reno said something to him, and Rude's head turned towards Vincent.

"What's this?" came a voice from behind them. Vincent turned around to see Tseng and Elena. "Mr. Valentine?" Elena's voice began cheerily. "I didn't think we'd be seeing you again so soon."

"Hello, Elena," he said in his quiet voice. "It's good to see that you and Tseng are in much better condition than the last time we met."

Actually, it was quite accurate to say that Tseng and Elena would be dead if not for Vincent. It was he who retrieved them from Kadaj and his gang. They'd been brutally tortured and on the brink of death. Of course, Vincent knew that Tseng would probably survive, he had a fighting spirit. After all, not everybody survived the edge of Sephiroth's sword and lived. It had been Elena he was worried about, but she proved to be stronger than he'd thought.

"Well, it's all thanks to you," she told him, now looking to Tifa. "And, how are you, Miss Lockheart?"

Tifa blinked. Even though the Turks had, in a way, allied themselves with Avalanche to defeat Sephiroth the second time, she wasn't used to them treating her nicely. "I am great, Elena," she said, her smile to genuine to let her confusion show through. "Will Rufus be making a speech this time?"

"No. He felt that the one at Sector Seven was enough. He said that if he kept making speeches every time a Sector reopened, then pretty soon he'd run out of things to talk about and he'd risk be redundant. I just think he's too lazy to write another speech."

"That's not very nice," came a drawling voice. Reno and Rude had finally made their way to them, most likely because they had spotted the other Turks, and took their places beside Elena and Tseng. Reno continued, "our president may be a lot of things… but he's no sloth."

"Well, if the president isn't here," Vincent began, "then why are you?"

He looked at Tseng for an answer, but he seemed to be against speaking at the moment. His hands were folded behind his back and his eyes were cast downward. Elena seemed to have diverted her attention to the dress shop, and kept shuffling on her feet as though she'd love nothing more than to run towards it. Vincent knew he couldn't count on Rude for the answer, so he looked to Reno.

For some reason, Reno's eyes were on Tifa, but he seemed to be aware of the fact that Vincent was looking at him, so he took his cigarette out of his mouth and threw it down on the ground. "We're on break," he told him. "We figured we might as well come and check out what was going on. The bad thing is, because we have to return to work, I can't even go to the bar for a drink."

"Speaking of break," Tseng said, glancing at his watch. "I think it's time that we start heading back."

"Yes, sir," Rude and Elena said in unison. Reno groaned and turned back towards Vincent and Tifa. For a second, his eyes seemed locked on her and his expression softened. But, it passed quickly and he said, "Well, it was good seeing you both. I expect, considering our history, that it won't be too much longer before our paths cross again."

He didn't wait for their response. He turned and followed the Turks, vanishing in the crowd.

"He hasn't changed," Tifa said, chuckling. "I wonder if that man will ever grow up."

"Perhaps we should be returning home," he said, ignoring her comment.

"But…"

"The fireworks won't start for another few hours. There's no point in staying here just to wait for them, especially when you'll probably be able to see them from the bar. So, why don't we just go and check on Yuffie."

Tifa nodded. "You're right. Besides, she's probably wide awake now and just begging for company."

------------

Yuffie had fallen asleep again. It was the sound of the door opening downstairs that had her sitting up in her bed. She looked at the clock on her nightstand; it was much too early for Tifa and Vincent to be back. Tifa always stayed to watch the fireworks. That's just the way it worked. Still, maybe they come home because she forgot something.

Swinging her legs off the bed, she rose to her feet and headed towards the stairs. There was the sound of heavy footsteps, and this was the first sign that set of warning bells in her head. Those footsteps were way too heavy to belong to Tifa, or Vincent for that matter. For a man of his height, Vincent's steps were rather light. The second signal that something wasn't right was the fact that this single person, not two people, was opening and closing the cabinets as though looking for something.

Yuffie took a step backward and tiptoed into her room to grab her Conformer. If it was a thief she was going to make them think twice about leaving with any of Tifa's things. With the weapon grasped firmly in her hand, she bolted down the stairs, practically leaping all of them, and came face to face with a tall man.

He'd been about to ascend the steps himself, and when she landed right in front of him, she was caught off guard and fell back against the wall. It was then that he took his chance, grabbed her wrist with a surprisingly strong grip, and shook the weapon free. This done, his grip on her tightened, and he glowered at her.

"Are you Yuffie Kisaragi?" he asked, his voice menacing and cruel.

"Who's asking?" she spat, looking up into his sea-green eyes. It was a shame. If this man hadn't just broken into the bar and man handled her, she might have been inclined to think that he was fairly cute. He had thick hair that fell in black waves above his eyes. His skin was an olive color, kind of like hers, and his black eyes slanted slightly. He was definitely from Wutai.

"You are her?" he asked in disbelief. "You are the one we've been fretting over? After all the stories I heard, I was thinking you'd be a veritable demon… but you're just a little girl." He released her, and just as she was thinking everything was just a misunderstand, the man grabbed her again, this time by the front of her shirt, and lifted her off the ground.

"What the hell are you doing?" she screamed, digging her nails into his arm. She swung her feet at him, but he didn't seem to be bothered by her kicks. "Put me down this instant!"

He laughed. "Yes, you are most definitely a princess. Even now you are ordering me around. But don't get too comfortable with your title, your highness. Pretty soon, everything will be taken from you. It's up to you to decide how this will happen."

"What are you saying?" she asked. "You know what? Never mind. Don't tell me. I don't care. Just put me down before the Great Ninja Yuffie decides not to forgive you for this."

"I don't think— "

But, whatever it was that he wasn't thinking would remain a mystery. The door swung open and time seemed to stand still. Black eyes met with blood-red, and Vincent's gun was out before the guy had time to drop her. The man threw Yuffie against the wall and bolted up the stairs. Vincent took chase and Tifa hurriedly went to Yuffie's side.

"Who was that?" she asked, helping her friend to her feet. They heard a gunshot, but thought little of it at the moment.

"I have no idea."

"Well, what did he want?"

She shook her head, her eyes watering with anger and frustration. "I'm not sure."

"He got away," Vincent said, coming back down the stairs, his gun in his hand and his barrel smoking.

"How?" Yuffie asked, a tear running down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly, not wanting Tifa to think that she was in pain or anything. Mostly, her tears were because the man had overcome her so easily and she was mad at herself.

Vincent put his gun back in his holster and stared into her eyes. This unnerved her to no end. It was like he was trying to read her mind or something. Finally, he spoke. "I shot him, and when he fell back, he went through the window at the top of the stairs. I guess the bullet went straight through his arm, but he was up and running by the time I got to the window myself."

"Yuffie, are you sure you don't know who that was?" Tifa asked.

"I've never seen him before in my life," she said honestly. "But, I have a feeling this isn't the last time that I'll be seeing him."


	4. Conversations

**Tengoko: Finally got through this chapter. I'd been stuck on it for a while, but I'm pretty content with the final results. I'm going to try my best to deliver those speedy updates for you, but school has been keeping me pretty busy. Anyway, enjoy chapter four, and if you could, please review. Thank you.  
------------  
Rated M for language and romance  
------------  
Chapter 4: Conversations**

_Secrets lie waiting in the dark  
__Unravel them by the thread  
__It's time, at last, to embark  
__The path lies straight ahead_

_------------_

Yuffie preferred for things to remain left unspoken. After the mysterious visitor vanished, she was quite content to pretend as though he'd never been there at all. Whenever Tifa tried to speak with her about it, Yuffie would hurriedly change the subject or find an excuse to leave the room. It never happened. Never.

There was one thing that Yuffie couldn't ignore: the letter. Soon, she would have no choice but to return to Wutai to take the throne once her father abdicated. Still, she couldn't help but notice the foreboding feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach whenever she thought about it. It was as if the encounter had been a window to the future, telling her that if she took the throne, something bad was going to happen.

Of course, she was being silly. He was one man. What could one man do? Besides, she was the great ninja Yuffie. She felt sorry for any man who thought they could take her on and win.

A week had passed since the night that Yuffie had seen the stranger, and with no sign of him since, she was beginning to think he was just some nut who had wanted to see with his own eyes if the princess really was working at a bar. Tifa didn't seem to think so, and her big sister instinct kicked in straightaway. Yuffie could no longer sleep with her door locked. She could no longer stay home alone or go out by herself. Constant surveillance just in case the man returned.

"I think you are overreacting a little," Yuffie had said, looking to Vincent to back her up on this. "Right, Vinny?"

His answer hadn't been what she'd expected. "I think Tifa is right. Obviously there is somebody out there who means to hurt you. You shouldn't be alone."

So, she hadn't had a moment's privacy for nearly a week. But now, she did. Tifa had fallen asleep while watching the news, and Vincent was out doing… well, whatever it was that Vincent did. She wasn't sure anymore. That man was a mystery that she'd never figure out no matter how hard she tried.

With the grace of a cat, Yuffie slowly made her way to the stairs, hoping that she wouldn't wake Tifa. Step by step, inch by inch. She was almost there.

Then somebody knocked on the door.

Tifa jerked awake and looked around, bemused. She saw Yuffie near the stairs, but clever Yuffie made it seem as though she were merely going to the sink to get a glass of water. Tifa looked at her skeptically before rising to her feet to answer the door.

Yuffie had her back to her friend, so she didn't see who was standing on the porch. But, judging my Tifa's reaction, it was somebody important. She turned around quickly just as Tifa gave Reeve a consuming hug.

"It's good to see you, too, Tifa," he laughed, hugging her back. "I've been meaning to come out here more often. But, they've been keeping me so busy with the WRO."

"We understand," Tifa said, nodding emphatically.

Yuffie walked up to them and gave Reeve a hug as well. "What brings you here?" she asked. As much as she'd like to think that Reeve had come to simply say 'hello', she knew better. He never came for such social reasons. There was always something when this man came to see you.

"Well, it's interesting that you should ask that—" he started, walking into the room. Tifa closed the door and followed him to one of the bar stools.

"Are you thirsty?" Tifa asked, cutting him off.

"No," he said, his stoic face giving way to a smile for a fleeting moment before returning back to his serious demeanor. "There is something that you must know, Yuffie. I am sure that you have already been informed by Godo that he is stepping down as monarch of Wutai."

"Yes," she said, her dark eyes now full of curiosity.

"You are planning on stepping up, correct?"

Tifa looked confused. "Yuffie… why didn't you tell me about this?"

She looked at her best friend guiltily. "Because, I wasn't sure until now that I was going to do it. It was something that took a lot of thinking."

The door opened again. This time, Vincent walked through, his tall frame filling the doorway as he moved with a haunting posture. His crimson eyes found the visitor, and he paused as though he were trying to find words to say.

"Vincent?" Reeve asked, standing up immediately. "I heard that you had returned. It is good to see you."

"Is it?" he asked, his deep voice lacking inflection. He chose to leave it at that. Reeve understood. After working with Vincent, he knew there was no breaking through the outer shell. In fact, he was surprised he received a response at all.

"I suppose you are wondering why I am here?" he asked, his mouth twitching upwards into a smirk.

"If that is what you suppose, then perhaps you should get to the point," Vincent said, removing his cape. Yuffie giggled at that, but quickly covered her mouth when Reeve's dark eyes came back to look at her. At first, she thought he was upset because she laughed at him, but she quickly realized that the conversation was about to turn on her.

"Some members of the WRO have informed me of a plot they uncovered. There is a plot— "

"Of course," Yuffie muttered, flipping her bangs out of her face. "There is always a plot."

"Yuffie… please. This is important," Reeve said. "If we don't get to the bottom of this, Wutai could very well be in danger. Some organization is scheming to over throw you the minute Godo relinquishes the throne."

"Why bother waiting?" Vincent asked, his arms folded, as usual, across his chest. "Do they think it'll be any easier defeating the gods of the pagoda?"

"They probably do think that it will be easier to take it from a woman," Yuffie said, hating the truth of that statement. "Besides, I'd be a new ruler… the people of Wutai aren't really familiar with me yet. If a new group of people take over, it would be no big deal to them. But, they are used to Godo, and they have all come to respect and trust him. If anybody tried to take the throne from him, there would be a revolt."

"That's the conclusion I came to, as well," Reeve said. "Yuffie, does your father know of this plan? Has he mentioned anything about it to you?"

"I don't think he does," she said, taking a stab in the dark. "If he did know about it, he wouldn't be so quick to give the throne to me. He'd take care of the problem first."

"Right. Then you should write to him and tell him. It's important that he know. Meanwhile, I will see to the investigation myself." He got to his feet and was about to say his good-byes when, suddenly, Vincent flung his cape back on and started towards the door. "Vincent?"

"I will be going to the Shin-Ra Headquarters with you, Reeve. If this does involve a hostile takeover, I can assure you, the Turks will know something about it, assuming they aren't the ones responsible in the first place, and I intend to learn all that I can from them."

Yuffie stared at him incredulously while Tifa chuckled a bit. "When he says it like that, you start to think that they already don't have a choice."

Reeve laughed. "Well, who am I to argue with him? Anything that can make Vincent sound long-winded must be important."

------------

Tseng was standing behind his desk, sorting through some papers at the last minute. Reno stood on the other side, awaiting directions, but not so patiently. His foot was tapping loudly against the tiled floor and he let out a lot of loud sighs that were meant to tell Tseng how edgy he was getting.

"Reno, I've asked you once before not to smoke in my office. Put that thing out… now."

Reno looked down at the cigarette in his hand and shrugged. "Whatever you say, boss," he said, walking over to Tseng's bonsai, taking on last drag, and then throwing the rest of the cigarette into the pot. Tseng glared at him but said nothing to indicate further annoyance. "How is it that Elena and Rude always get out of here quickly, but when it comes to giving me orders, you take a long ass time?"

"Reno, you haven't forgotten that you are on probation, have you?" This earned him a dark scowl from the younger Turk. "Rufus told me to pick your missions carefully, and that's what I intend to do."

"Figures," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, found the perfect job for you," Tseng said, holding a sheet of paper up in front of him. "Reno, I'm going to need you to go to— "

The door to Tseng's office swung open, banging against the wall and then bouncing shut. The man who had opened the door had already entered, his blood-red eyes aflame, and his three-barreled gun pointing at Tseng's face.

Reno's gun was out in less than a second, and it was pointed at the intruder. Tseng had been startled, but luckily, there was no gun near him or he very well could have done something stupid.

"Drop your gun, Valentine," Reno snapped.

The door opened again, and this time, Reeve entered, rubbing a red mark on his forehead. "Damn it, Vincent, warn me next time you're going to slam a door in my face." He blinked after that, finally taking in the situation. "Oh, come on. Are guns really necessary?"

"They seem to make these conversations end quickly," Vincent answered, ignoring Reno.

"Oh, so it is a conversation you want?" Tseng asked, setting the piece of paper down and looking amused now. "Is this your way of saying 'hello'?"

"I'm going to get to the point," Vincent started.

"I'd imagine you are good at that."

"What are you planning to do with Wutai?" he continued, not slowed by Tseng's comment. The smile on Tseng's face vanished, and Vincent took this to be a confession of sorts. So, the Turks were behind it? "I thought Shin-Ra had given up on Wutai."

"I should say that I don't know what you are talking about," he began, "but it would be a lie. However, I think you are mistaken, Vincent. Though there is some truth behind your claim, the Turks, or Shin-Ra, for that matter, are not responsible for this. It's actually a coincidence that you came in now. I was just about to send Reno to investigate more about this issue."

"How did you come to learn about this?" Reeve asked.

"The same way you did, I'd expect," Tseng answered smugly. "The WRO isn't the only organization around here, you know? I've eyes and ears all over the map."

"Lower your gun, Vincent. If you are interested in discovering who is behind everything, it may just be best to work with the Turks."

Vincent said nothing, but he did lower his gun. Work with the Turks? Again? He had sworn that he never would do anything for Shin-Ra after what had happened to him. But, this was a different Shin-Ra than he had known, and the cause was too important to be pushed aside because of personal feelings of hate.

"I will help Reno," Vincent said with a note of finality. Once again, he left no room for anybody to argue, though the look on Reno's face told everybody that he would have very much liked to.


	5. The Mysterious Stranger

**Tengoko: Finally got this chapter up. Had to read the other stories in the series to make sure I didn't mess anything up as far as continuity goes. Well, read and please review. I hope you enjoy this chapter. :)**

Rated M for language and romance

Chapter 5: The Mysterious Stranger  
--

_Loneliness is all around_  
_The pain dwells deep inside  
It's only recently I've found  
Thought I live, I've died  
--_

The price she would pay for the good of her country. To fly on an airship was torture for the young ninja who was prone to motion sickness. It had been three days since Reeve had come into Tifa's bar and told her that somebody was plotting to overthrow Wutai upon her coronation. Because of that, Vincent and Reeve had begun investigations with the Turks to try to get to the bottom of things. Yuffie, however, was never the type to just sit around and wait for results. That's why she'd contacted Cid and now was on an airship bound for Wutai. Somebody had to warn Godo, and why shouldn't it be her?

Tifa had come with her. Was rather adamant about it, to be honest. Yuffie was glad, though. Seeing Cid again would be good for her, would help raise her spirits, and possibly take her mind off of the spiky-headed pain in the ass.

Yuffie quickly turned her mind off to him. She hadn't admitted it out loud, but she missed him, too. If it wasn't for him, she never would have met Tifa or any of the members of Avalanche. "You are still dwelling on him, Yuffie," she said to herself. She slowly made her way down the stairs to the cargo bay of the Shera. She found her usual spot between some crates where she could curl into a little ball and try to forget that she wanted to spill the contents of her stomach all over the floor.

She leaned back against one of the crates and tilted her head up slightly. Her eyes closed as she tried to search her mind for something to focus on. Red eyes came to the surface; so red they were like blood and surrounded by long, dark lashes. Then came the face, the angular features, the pale skin, the small but perfect lips of Vincent Valentine. Why was it that she always thought of him? He didn't even like her.

She didn't understand why he didn't like her. Had she not proven that she could hold her own it battle? That she was indeed loyal to Avalanche and her friends and could care about something other than herself? She had helped him in his quest to defeat Omega Weapon. What more did she have to do to gain his respect?

"Yuffie?" Tifa's sweet voice rang from the upper level.

Yuffie looked up. "Yes?" she replied.

"Cid says we are almost there. Can you come and help me get the Chocobos ready?"

Yuffie looked in front of her at another crate. She shrugged. It couldn't hurt. Maybe helping Tifa would take her mind off of… well, not only the motion sickness, but of Vincent Valentine.

--

Reeve turned the page in the notebook in front of him and perused the writing before looking up at the three men in front of him. "This is getting more and more complicated. It seems the organization behind all of this is based somewhere in or near Wutai. That means we aren't dealing with any group that we are familiar with. This is a new one and as such little is known about them."

Reno peered at the notebook before saying, "Well, then it seems we have some work to do. I will take Rude and Elena to go and find out anything and everything about this group."

"Good idea, Reno. You should go ahead and start that."

With a nod, the red-haired Turk turned and left the room to summon his partners and set off. That left Tseng and Vincent with him. "How could we have let such a matter go unnoticed?"

"It's not like they were waving a banner saying that they were a terrorist organization, Reeve," Tseng said, taking a sip of his coffee. "This group is recent, barely established and probably very small. I wouldn't worry about it too much. At least not until we have more information."

Reeve shook his head. "I would rather take this too seriously than too lightly. I don't think we can afford to be blasé about any of this. Yuffie's life and the fate of Wutai depend on whether or not we can stop this group before they carry out their mission." He turned to Vincent. "Weren't you from Wutai?" he asked.

"Yes, but I don't see why that is relevant," he responded.

"Well, I'm not familiar with the area myself, nor am I familiar with any of the organizations. Is there anything we don't know that we should?"

"You forget, Reeve, the last time I was in Wutai was when we were chasing after Yuffie and our material. We did not remain long. Before that instance, it has been decades since I was last there."

"I know, Vincent. I was just hoping maybe somebody knew something. I've never felt so in the dark."

"Never?" Tseng challenged, taking another sip. "Obviously you are a man who lives in the present. No matter, we will simply have to wait for Reno to return with more information before we begin speculating."

"I cannot wait," Vincent said. "Tifa and Yuffie have gone to Wutai to warn Godo. I will go to Cosmo Canyon and enlist the aid of Nanaki. Reeve, you may come along, but if you stay it won't bother me at all."

Reeve nodded and rose from his seat. "We will take one of the choppers, Vincent." He looked at Tseng. "I suppose this means you are in charge during my absence."

Tseng smiled. "When am I not in charge, Reeve?"

--

Yuffie had always thought that Wutai was a beautiful place. Looking around, she couldn't help but be filled with memories of the past. She had loved this city ever since she was a small child, but slowly had grown to hate the people for allowing Shinra to turn it into a tourist's haven. Wutai was so much more than that; a city with a rich history, a unique culture, and immense pride and honor. Still, she understood why her father had allowed Shinra to do what they did.

Dismounting from the Chocobo, Yuffie turned to Tifa with a sad smile. "You remember how to get around, right?"

Tifa nodded. Though, of course, the last time she'd been in Wutai was to chase Yuffie around. "Not much has changed. I suppose one thing you can count on from Wutai is constancy. I must say, though, this place is truly beautiful. I guess I hadn't had time to stop and take it in the last time we were here."

Yuffie smiled, her eyes filling with pride for her city. "Well, we are wasting time."

"I agree," came a gruff voice behind them. The two girls turned to see Cid dragging his Chocobo by the reigns as the animal resisted him. "I'm no good with animals," he said, tying the reigns to a fence post. "Stupid piece of shit." He glared at the Chocobo before turning to face them. "You heard the lady. Time isn't stopping so you can smell the damned roses. Let's go and see Godo."

Yuffie laughed and began leading the way to the five tiered pagoda.

"So, are you having fun," Tifa asked Cid quietly.

"If you can call this fun. I guess, though, I needed a reason to take the Shera out for a ride. The wife has been a bit… well, demanding. Damn it, though. I love her," he smiled. "I heard about Cloud," he said somberly. "That ass-hole. If I see him, Tifa, I promise, I'll fucking kill him."

"I'd rather you didn't," she said sadly. "I have a question."

"What is it, Teefs?"

"After we sort this all out, you are leaving again?" She hated when he left. She was so close with him. Had been for years now even though he often spent his time away from her. Every time he left it hurt her immensely.

"I hate when you put it that way, Tifa. You make it sound like I'm abandoning you, but that's not the case. My home is Rocket Town. That's where my wife is, where my work is. But, never think that I won't ever be here for you when you need me."

Tifa nodded. "I know all that. I guess I can't help but feel slightly selfish."

"You can't be blamed, all things considered. But, you have Yuffie."

"Not for much longer," Tifa lamented. "She's going to be the future queen of Wutai. It will happen sooner than later. Hopefully Vincent will stay with me in Midgar. If not, I may just have to pack up all my things and move in with you and Shera."

It was a joke, but he nodded. "If that's what you feel you have to do, my door is always open to you, Teefs."

Yuffie looked down. She had tried her best not to hear Cid's and Tifa's conversation, but considering there wasn't anybody else to talk to she couldn't help it. She envied Tifa. How could she feel so alone when she had so many people who cared about her? Cid looked at her as though she were his daughter, Reeve favored her among all the former Avalanche members, and Red, or rather, Nanaki, always sought her companionship on their journeys. Back then, Barret was closer to her than anybody, and Cloud truly did care about her. She was even favored by the flower girl that Yuffie barely knew, Aerith. Even Vincent was like her older brother. It wasn't fair? What reason did Tifa have to be so sad when Yuffie was the one who was truly alone?

Besides, she had no reason to complain about the others being gone. Yes, Yuffie had done it too, but at least she put it in perspective and learned not to take their leaving so personally. And they were never gone for very long. Least of all, Cid, who often visited just to see how Tifa was doing.

"What is this?" Yuffie asked as she approached the entrance to the pagoda. The guards in front blocked her way. "Why are you denying me access to my own palace?"

"Princess Yuffie, we are under orders that should you come to the palace, we were to keep you here until your father arrived," answered one of the guards.

"That seems ridiculous," she said, crossing her arms over her chest.

She didn't notice that some of the guards had taken the liberty to see what she offered there as her folded arms helped to pronounce some of her more womanly attributes that had developed recently. But Tifa and Cid certainly were aware of it and Cid stepped forward threateningly, silently telling anybody that if they continued to stare, they would soon regret it.

"Yuffie?"

They all looked up just as Godo came out of the pagoda and went straight to his daughter, enveloping her in an engulfing hug. She groaned at the force of the embrace but said nothing. Cid wondered if she could with as tight as Godo was holding her.

"How surprising to see you here. I thought I'd have to send people to Midgar to bring you back. It's good that you came on your own. It demonstrates maturity. I think you are more than ready to be the princess of this country. The people will gladly welcome you, I am sure." He put her down and took her hand.

"Father," she began. "There is something that I want to talk to you about."

"It can wait, child. I have somebody that I want you to meet. Your future husband."

Yuffie froze. "What?"

"I know you will like him, Yuffie. Come."

He pulled her into the pagoda, Cid and Tifa close behind him, both shocked by the news but curious as to who Yuffie would be married to. They entered a large room decorated in red and yellow. Just as Yuffie finally tore her hand from her father's a demanded an explanation, a partition on the East wall opened and a man stepped through.

Yuffie's eyes widened. He had thick hair that fell in black waves above his eyes, olive colored skin, slanted eyes… the stranger from before was now standing in front of her. Tifa seemed to recognize him as well if the gasp she let out was any indication. "Godo," he said in menacing and cruel voice that Yuffie would have liked to have never heard again.

"Ah, Sehton, I'm glad you have come. Yuffie, this is Sehton; the man I have chosen to be your husband."


	6. House Arrest

**Tengoko: I had meant to have this chapter up two days ago. Unfortunately, I didn't finish writing it until I went to class this morning. Well, here it is, I hope you enjoy it. Please review :)**

**Rated M for language and romance**

**Chapter 6: House Arrest  
--**

My world makes no sense  
My heart carries a cross  
What will recompense  
The things that I have lost  
--

In Wutai there is a snake called the Lokein. It is very venomous, but not necessarily fatal. In the old days if one were bitten by it, they would die, but modern doctors now had antivenins and antidotes to cure such things. It was a good thing, too, because when Yuffie was a young girl, no more than five years old, she was bitten by a Lokein. She remembered exactly what happened to her after that. The way her whole body seemed to freeze. She couldn't move anything; not her arms, not her legs. All she could do was blink and swallow, though swallowing was a bit of a chore for her when it happened.

She kind of felt like that now; like she'd been bitten by a Lokein. She was frozen to her spot, her eyes staring at the man in front of her as though he were the snake. She wanted to scream at him, to through her conformer at him and strike him down, but she couldn't will herself to move.

"It is a pleasure to see you, Princess," Sehton said, walking towards her and taking her hand in his. He pressed his lips to her knuckles and gazed up at her malevolently.

"Marvelous," Godo boomed, walking up to them and slapping his hand on both of their shoulders before pulling them closer together. "I shall make an announcement that the wedding will be tomorrow."

That seemed to be Yuffie's antivenin. "Wait… what?" She stared at her father incredulously.

Tifa stepped forward. "So soon, Lord Godo? Yuffie has only just arrived. Don't you think she may want to settle in and all?"

"There is little time to waste. I have already announced my planned abdication, and already the people are calling for a wedding. Sehton is a native Wutain and is the first son of Taiki, the second wealthiest family in Wutai. It's a match made in the Heavens."

"I don't want to marry this man!" Yuffie said, mustering up the courage to argue with her father. "You didn't even ask my opinion on the matter. Even if we must keep up appearances outside of these walls, inside I refuse to be ordered around and told how to live my life. I am willing to get married and become the sovereign of Wutai. That alone should please you since I wasn't even sure I was going to do that. But because this is what I have agreed to do, I at least want the liberties in choosing my own husband and not have him chosen for me. Don't you think enough has been decided for me?"

Godo frowned. "I think I was too soft on you when you were a young girl. That is a mistake I regret now. Yuffie, it is time that you realize there are more important things than yourself. The people of Wutai are counting on you to be their new Queen and to make decisions that put them first and not the other way around, do you understand?"

"Yes," she nodded. "But I don't see how this union would benefit anybody, least of all the people of Wutai."

"Why don't you two compromise?" Cid suggested. "Let Yuffie search for her husband. Give her a week or so. If she doesn't find one by then, then she will marry this Sehton."

"No," Godo yelled. "No compromise will be made. Yuffie will marry Sehton tomorrow, and that is my final word on the matter."

Yuffie was about to argue but she saw something in his eyes. A glint of… what was that? Sorrow? Fear? He was looking at her as though he were afraid he would never see her again. Yuffie began to wonder if maybe her father did know something about this, and perhaps this Sehton man had something to do with it.

"So, shall we begin arranging things?" Sehton asked, looking up at Godo. "I would like for tomorrow to go smoothly."

Godo stared at him and then looked up at the ceiling. "Yes, you are right. We shall adjourn to another room. In the meantime, I shall be placing you," this he said to his daughter, "under house arrest. This room will be sealed and guards placed at every entrance, exit and window. I have to make sure you don't try to leave before your big day."

"Now, wait a second," Cid began, taking a few steps towards Godo. He should have known better. The deity of Wutai turned and swung his large fist, striking Cid's stomach and sending him backward into the floor. Before he registered what had just happened, Godo and Sehton were out of the room and guards were around the door. "Now I'm fucking pissed!" Cid said, wishing he'd brought his spear.

"What do you think?" Tifa asked, whispering to Yuffie and Cid. "We should be able to handle the guards."

"No," Yuffie said, cutting them off. "There's got to be a reason why my father wants me to get married so quickly. I have to find out why."

"It doesn't matter," Tifa said. "All I need to know is that man attacked you when you were alone…"

"What?" Cid interrupted.

She went on, "and that him being here is no coincidence. Yuffie, something is telling me that if you stay here you are going to get hurt."

"Something is telling me that if I leave, my father will be hurt. I think that's what it's about. I am not dense anymore. I know that he probably has something to do with the terrorist organization. I'd bet all the materia in the world on it. Still, I think he may have threatened my father and that's why he's in such a rush. I have to find out if what I'm thinking is what's going on."

Cid looked around. "Can't we do that elsewhere? Like… somewhere that's not under lock and key?"

"I am afraid that if we leave my father may be hurt."

"Yuffie, not very many men can knock me to the ground like your father just did. I think he'll be okay." Cid looked around trying to envision how they might escape. It seemed the biggest problem wasn't going to be taking out the guards. It was going to be convincing Yuffie to leave.

--

"What do you have for me?" Tseng asked as the two tall men entered his office. He looked up at them and couldn't help but be taken aback. Reno and Vincent standing together; that was damned frightening. It was the sort of sight that made him sad that Vincent was no longer a Turk.

"Well, we are in the wrong damned city," Reno said, taking his cigarette out of his mouth and tossing it into the bonsai plant.

Tseng rolled his eyes. "Damn it, Reno. That isn't an ash tray. Dispose of your cigarette before entering my office." That out of the way, he asked, "Now, what do you mean?"

"The terrorist organization is in Wutai," Vincent answered, his voice barely loud enough for Tseng to hear. "Cid, Tifa, and Yuffie are already there, but I think something has gone wrong."

Tseng blinked. "How can you possibly know that?"

"We had agreed to remain in correspondence every five hours. Tifa called me at the first two designated increments. However, the third has come and gone, and I have yet to receive word from any of them."

"I see," Tseng said, "and I take it that you will be going to Wutai to see what the trouble is."

"Yes."

"Will you require aid? I will gladly send Rude or Reno with you." He ignored that Reno looked indignant at being volunteered without his consent.

"Reeve will be coming with me," Vincent said.

As though cued, the door opened again, and Reeve walked in holding what looked like a new model of Cait Sith. Vincent stared down at it and muttered, "You and your damned dolls," while Tseng muttered, "Nobody ever knocks anymore." Reno merely stated, "Were your ears burning?"

Reeve said, "As a matter of fact, they were." He looked at Vincent. "Talking about me, eh? And here I thought you didn't like me." He didn't wait for Vincent to respond. Actually, he was pretty sure Vincent would care to respond. "I will need a helicopter, Tseng. I was wondering if I could borrow yours."

"What the deuce happened to yours? Wasn't it you that bothered Rufus for days on end about getting you one? And now that you finally have one, you aren't using it?"

"Mine is being fueled, and I don't think we can afford to wait."

Tseng sighed. "Give it five minutes. I've got to call a few people to get it prepped and ready. By the way, you owe me now, Reeve."

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to look away from the next minor assassination you and your Turks carry out."

"Very good. Then we have a deal."

Reno chuckled and said, "Wow, Reeve. Didn't think you'd make a deal like that. I have to keep this in mind."

"Don't, Reno. I only make deals with people when I absolutely need to. In this case, I fear that Tifa and the others may be in trouble, and I would do anything to help them." He looked at Tseng who was already on the phone getting the chopper ready and then looked at Vincent. "If you don't mind, we will be stopping in Cosmo Canyon."

"Why?"

"Well, I contacted Nanaki about what was going on. He said he wanted to help."

Vincent's expression did not change, but Reeve had worked with him long enough to know that he was not happy about that plan. "Not that I am against having Nanaki help us, but the circumstance seems to be potentially dire. We need to get to Wutai as quick as possible. The detour to Cosmo Canyon could prove to be a mistake."

"I know you are worried about them, but in the end, we will be glad that we decided to get him. Besides, I'm pretty sure that, considering who Yuffie is, they are going to be fine. Godo would never stand for anything happening to his daughter. The people wouldn't stand for it either. She is their princess, after all."

"You do realize that terrorists don't tend to listen to the masses?" Tseng said, setting the phone down. "They do what they think is necessary, not what is dictated. We should know. We had to deal with quite a few. Mr. Valentine is right. You shouldn't waste time. If Nanaki is necessary, get him after you have gone to Wutai."

Vincent looked over at Tseng before saying, "Reeve, you are right. As long as Nanaki is ready to go the moment we get there, it shouldn't be too costly. Is the chopper being prepared?" he asked Tseng. He answered with a nod. "Very well. I will meet you there, Reeve." Without another word, Vincent left.

Reeve turned to Tseng who appeared as though he'd been slapped in the face. "I guess it's because you are a Turk. You know how Vincent feels about this organization."

"Well, remember this, Reeve. If you ever need to talk Vincent out of something, just call me up and I'll tell him all the reasons why he _should _do it."

Reno smiled, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a cigarette. Setting it behind his ear and adjusting his goggles, he said in his most blasé fashion, "well, sir, I know that you want us to find out more about these terrorists. I am assuming you will be sending Rude and I to Wutai."

"In time, Reno. First I need you and Rude to tackle a problem closer to home. Reeve has brought to my attention that there is a professor at the University that is exercising some… peculiar methods."

Reeve seemed to snap to attention. "Yes. He has been under the employment of President Shinra for years now. Used to be an apprentice of Hojo. However, his practices seem to focus more on the study of pain."

"What?" Reno repeated.

"A woman checked into the medical facility about a week ago. It appeared as though she'd been brutally tortured. We believe that she was once a student of this professor. What I need for you and Rude to do is go and sit in on his class. You have to sit in the back and try not to show up wearing suits. We don't want flashing arrows pointing at you screaming, 'I'm a Turk.'"

"Well, I always wanted to go to college," Reno said, rising to his feet. "I'll go tell Rude. By the way, what is the professor's name?"

"Gordon Manning," Reeve answered. "Doctor Gordon Manning."


End file.
